Junior dos Santos Refuses to Mention Alistair Overeem by Name

Have you ever hated someone so much that the very thought of uttering their name disgusted you? Well, it appears UFC heavyweight champ Junior dos Santos (Pictured) has reached that point with Alistair Overeem. During Wednesday’s conference call, dos Santos refused to say his bitter rival’s name.

When asked if he’d rather defend his crown against a respectful opponent like Cain Velasquez, who “Cigano” meets December 29th in Las Vegas, or a smack-talking Overeem, dos Santos said he wants to face opponents who aren’t on the juice.

“I prefer to fight against clean athletes and real professionals,” dos Santos stated. “Cain Velasquez is one of these guys. He’s a real professional fighter and that’s a good challenge for me. I know he’s very tough and I know how hard I have to train to face him. And the OTHER GUYS, they just say things, but there’s nothing behind the words.

“Guys like me and Cain Velasquez, we are made at the gym. Guys like the OTHER GUY there, they are made in the laboratory.”

“The Demolition Man” was expected to challenge dos Santos for his throne at UFC 146, but Overeem was forced out of the shootout after registering more than twice the legal limit of testosterone in his system. He was issued a nine-month ban and is eligible to reapply for licensing as early as December 27th.

If Overeem is granted his license, he will co-headline UFC 156 against Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva. If the controversial kickboxer is victorious, he will likely get next dibs at the hardware.

“Cigano,” meanwhile, currently has bigger fish to fry in Velasquez. UFC 155 takes place next Saturday inside MGM Grand Garden Arena in Nevada.